At that moment, Shen Yi rushed over from the adjacent room. Without even glancing at the fool lying on the ground, he immediately hoisted Xiao Shi onto his back. "Let’s go! We have to go now!"

Qin Jiao nodded.

But just as they were about to head outside, they heard Little Fatty standing at the door, crying and shouting, "Dad! Mom! We’ve got burglars! They beat Uncle Fool to death!"

At that moment, Lin Xiaohua and her husband were out by the courtyard gate, rounding up their chickens, ducks, and pigs. Several of their relatives had come over to help. It was a huge, menacing-looking crowd. In the pitch-black darkness, if they were really cornered, some things would be impossible to explain.

If things went south, they might not be able to get away at all!

After all, desperate places often breed desperate people. They neither knew the law nor cared for it.

Shen Yi’s brow furrowed. "In a minute, you take Xiao Shi and go. I’ll hold them off. Once you get out, find a cornfield and hide. If I can make it out, I’ll get the motorcycle and come for you. If I can’t... hide for a bit, then take Xiao Shi and run toward Three Families Village!"

Seeing the people outside who were about to grab shovels and pickaxes, Qin Jiao saw the firm resolve in Shen Yi’s eyes.

Shen Yi from her past life had indeed known some martial arts. In a situation like this, it would be easy for him to escape unscathed on his own. But if he had to protect her and her sister, there was no way he could get away. He’d be sure to get hurt!

’What if one of them gets reckless and hits him in the head? That could kill him!’

Qin Jiao had never thought Shen Yi would do this for her—disregard his own life. No matter how much she resented or hated him, a heart is still made of flesh. ’At a time like this, when someone is willing to risk their life for you, how can you remain indifferent?’

Qin Jiao could already hear Lin Xiaohua’s shouting. She immediately pulled Shen Yi back inside, shut the door, and pulled the door curtain down to cover it.

She grabbed Shen Yi’s wrist. "Shen Yi, close your eyes."

Shen Yi was still holding Xiao Shi. He felt Qin Jiao’s hand burning hot against his skin, as if it might melt right through his wrist.

He obediently closed his eyes.

Though it was hardly the time for it, the angry shouts of the villagers surged right up to the house. Only a single door separated them.

But Shen Yi felt... ’Is Jiao Jiao about to kiss me?’

In truth, Qin Jiao wasn’t sure she could bring both of them into her space at once. After all, she had only ever brought in living things like fish and chicks before.

That’s right. The space had expanded several times over. The indoor area was now a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, and the outdoor area was even more delightful—a garden of over a thousand square feet.

By the Spiritual Spring Well, Qin Jiao had planted all sorts of vegetables and was raising fish and chickens. The chickens had grown and were already starting to lay eggs. Not far off was a small patch of strawberries, a vibrant green, already bearing milky-white fruit. Once they turned red, they would be ready to eat.

In her past life, Qin Jiao had dreamed of having her own small estate. It seemed that in this life, her dream had come true. And it was even a secret estate. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But now, her secret space was no longer a secret.

Shen Yi stared at the modern three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment before him, feeling as if he had been transported twenty years into the future. There were no color TVs or refrigerators, though. The furniture was rustic and all made of wood, giving it a very traditional Chinese feel at first glance.

Thankfully, despite his shock, Shen Yi didn’t drop the still-unconscious Xiao Shi he was holding. Qin Jiao quickly reached out and took her sister from his arms.

"I know you have a lot of questions," she said. "It’s a long story, but for now, just know that we’re completely safe here. Those people won’t be able to find us. I need to check on Xiao Shi and see if she’s hurt. I don’t know why she hasn’t woken up yet."